Tongue-support



(No Model'.)

T.'N. SAVAGE.

TONGUE SUPPORT,

No. 515,060. Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS N. SAVAGE, OF WALNUT SPRINGS, TEXAS.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 515,060, dated February20, 1894.

Application filed April 24, 1893.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS NEWTON SAV- AGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Walnut Springs, in the county of Bosque and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon-TongueSprings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which drawings Figure l is a bottom plan View of awagon axle, axle hounds and tongue hounds, and wagon tongue providedwith my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail side view of the spring, andFig. 3 is a plan View of the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in a wagon tongue spring, tosupport a part of the weight of the free end of the tongue, thusavoiding the disagreeable weight and wear on the animals neck. Thespring is preferably formed of round spring steel, with two or morecoils, resting on the tongue, and adjacent on each side of the tongue.Said coils can be varied in size and number to gain the proper amount ofelasticity. The firmness of the spring is so adjusted as to receiveabout ninety per cent. of the weight of the free end of the tongue whensaid tongue is in its normal position; thus leaving about ten per cent.of the weight of the tongue to rest on the breast-straps, to hold thetongue steady and properly guide the wheels. This makes it far superiorto a common stiff tongue which has a free play between the team of aboutten or twelve inches, which allows the wheels to continually cut theruts, thereby increasing the draft.

Referring to the drawings: A designates thefront axle. B designates theaxle hounds.

Serial No. 471,581. (No model.)

C designates the tongue hounds, and D designates the tongue. J istheusual cross bar, and I is the tongue rod, all shown as in general use.The axle A, the axle hounds B and the tongue are partly broken away.

The spring is preferably formed of one piece of about one half inchspring steel; bent near its center to a U form, with the lower end ofthe U bend downward, as shown at g, allowing the sides a, a, to rest oneach side of the tongue D for about eight or ten inches, and then woundto two or more coils b, b, thence with the ends bent past each other andtwisted together as shown at h, with the ends 111, i, parted and ofproper length to extend beneath the axle A on each side of the king boltK, as shown.

To place the spring in position, the free end of the tongue D iselevated, the tongue rod I is withdrawn, the spring placed in positionand the tongue rod I replaced extending through the coils b,b, whichcoils will rest on said tongue rod I.

The spring is of proper curvature to receive the proper amount of weightof the freeend of the tongue when said tongue is in its normal position.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is The combination of awagon tongue spring, resting with its coils on the tongue rod I, withits end g extending across beneath the tongue, and with its rear endsbent beneath the tongue and twisted at h with its extreme ends partedand of proper length, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

T. N. SAVAGE.

Witnesses:

J. F. WOMBLE, W. A. BAILY.

